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The geography of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt has long been a subject for academic inquiry, so much so that most Bible dictionaries have an entry for “the Exodus” or “The Route of the Exodus” which treats the geography and toponymy in the Pentateuch. Similarly, Bible atlases try to chart the route by offering different reconstructions based on reading the toponymy in the light of the archaeological record. The reasons for the differences are often attributed to the various sources and traditions behind the Pentateuch. This is not the case, this chapter argues, and a coherent...

The geography of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt has long been a subject for academic inquiry, so much so that most Bible dictionaries have an entry for “the Exodus” or “The Route of the Exodus” which treats the geography and toponymy in the Pentateuch. Similarly, Bible atlases try to chart the route by offering different reconstructions based on reading the toponymy in the light of the archaeological record. The reasons for the differences are often attributed to the various sources and traditions behind the Pentateuch. This is not the case, this chapter argues, and a coherent picture does emerge if biblical materials are rightly understood alongside the geography of the northeastern Delta and northwestern Sinai. By taking this position, one should not conclude that every toponym will be securely placed on a map, but a schematic route can be traced.